Mail-pouch-exchanging device.



PATENTED JUNE 19, 1906.

G. W- MOSHER. MAIL POUGH EXGHANGING DEVIGE.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.20. 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J// L T//// qwmmzqf M PATENTED JUNE 19, 1906.

G. W. MOSHER. MAIL POUCH EXOHANGING DEVICE,

APPLIOATION FILED DEC. 20, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

GHQ mm No. 823,617. PATENTED JUNE 19, 1906.

G. W. MOSHER. MAIL POUCH EXGHANGING DEVICE,

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 20, 1905. I

3 SHBETS-SHBET 3.

i To: all whom it mdy concern;

UNITED STATES.

Be it known that I, GEORGE .WJMOsHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newport, in the county of Campbell and State of Kentucky, have invented new and useful Im provements in Mail-Pouch-Exchanging Devices," of whichthe following is aspecification. I r

My invention relates to. mechanism for catching and delivering mail-pouches, part of i which apparatus is attached to and travels withvthe mail-car and another. part station ary and inconvenient proximityjto the track,

' upon which. the said cartravels.

f Both the stationary and travelingparts are provided, with means for holding for dey livery a mail-pouch which is'to be caught by the other, and both are providedwith meansfor catching a pouch so heldforjdelivery by thev other. All this mechanism is so constructed that either partcan both deliver and catch at approximately the same time or either can catch when there is nothing to deliver or deliver when there is nothing to catch. j Y

My device maybe readily changed from one side of the carto the other without any alteration or the mechanism itself, and it may be pushed aside from the door entirely out of. the way when loading and unloading car, so special small car-doors where mail-catcher is used may be dispensed with. It does not require the'constantat'tention of a mail clerk, as bag to be deliveredfrom carmaybeplaced and device set and left. This insures lessening of'labor and eliminates the danger to attending mail clerk of being struck by the pouch as it is caught.

As the pouches will not be kicked from moving cars, but retained on a, suitable delivery device, mail-matter will not be damaged by pouch accidentally striking objects violently in falling, nor moisture, as at present when pouch happens to fallinto mud-puddles ering pouches;

Specification. of Letters-Iat'ent. Applicationfiled Dacemhcr 2o,19o5. serm11io. 292.590;

My device avoidsthe ne-v PATENT? OFFICE. a GEORGELWVJVMOSVHEIR, or fivnwronr, KENTUCKY. I

MAl-LriPOUCHr EXCHANGING DEVICE;

Eatented June 19,.190.6..

j When it action must be forthcoming at'the exact; instant. required in order to secure proper decomplete empty and pushed aside out of the" way for'loadi-n'g and unloading at a'full-stop' point. Fig.3 is a side elevation of the stain the accompa' V is considered that-his work re'- .quires great skill and steadiness and that with the devicenow in use'the appropriate livery and receipt of pouches, the importance i .tionary portion of my devicewith its pouch fixed ready-to be caught-and a vertical sec i tion through a mail-car-,parts broken away-,3

showing-the traveling portion of my device with its pouch fixed ready to be caught, all

showing stationary and traveling portions of my devicev about to contact for OPGIiLDIlOHLI,

Fig. 4: is the same just after the exchange of .pouches has been made. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the catching-arm and attendant parts of the stationary. device. Fig, 6 is an vt'endant parts of the portion of the mechanism attached to the car.

mechanism'when same is made so. as to be quickly changed from one side of the car to the other. Fig. 9 is aside elevation of the stationary portion of the device set to receive- Figs. 7 andx8 ar hinges for the car catching and delivering .under plan view of the catching-arm and at The frame for the stationary portion of my,

invention (represented as a whole by B) consists, preferably, of two upright posts I), suitably .set'in the ground and connected by one -manner,to form a rigid support for the sta-- .tionary pouch delivering and catching device, (designated as a whole by A,). attached to frame B byhin es a to permit A to swing up and down; T is catching-arm-may be formed of any number of suitably-shaped parts, and the preferred form shown has the main frame a, with slopin jaws a and 11, on each end, adapted to gui e the pouch into the further narrowed recess a or more pieces b, or in any-other convenientv The-outer sloping-jaws are prolonged and terminate in projections a extending outwardly laterally and adapted to engage and hold a mail-pouch ring, as shown in Fig. 3. The back portion of the part a, may be extended laterally, 5 forming projections a, to which levers b? are attached in any convenient manner, as by eyelet, and held by cotter-pin a These levers extend upward and are pivotally attached to levers 1), near the back end thereof. At their outer end levers b are each provided with a projection b These extend divergently laterally and are adapted to engage and hold the other mail-pouch ring, as shown in Fig. 3. Levers b are each pivoted in a bracket b which is attached to post I) and extends outwardly toward the track. The main frame has attached to itby pivot a, or in any other suitable manner at any convenient point, a latch aiadapted to be pressed back to admit the mail-pouch as it enters the jaw and to drop into position and retain it within the recess a, the face a completing the inclosure. This face may be serrated or roughened to more securely hold the pouch and to catch on the folds of the pouch as it is being rotated to remove it from the catch.

Springs a a attached to the latch at suitable points on the main frame, hold the latch normally closed, as shown in Fig. 5, but permit the latch to turn freely on its pivot a", as when mail-bags are admitted or removed. On the under side of the frame a is a lug a adapted to contact with a suitable projection b on the pawl-lever b. At a convenient point, as under the main frame a, is attached a spring a, while the other end is made fast to the frame B. This serves to hold the part A downward to hold the mail-pouch taut. A bent lever 6 attached to some convenient ple, or in any other convenient manner, is provided near its bend with a projection b which is adapted to contact with lug a to sustain the weight of the part A when there is no pouch to be delivered to the car and one is to be taken from the car mechanism. This lever then projects outwardly beyond the bend, so as to contact with the pouch when it is carried into the recess a. The impact of the pouch forces the outer end b of lever over, projection b is carried out of holding contact with lug a and both lever and part A fall and hang in an approximately vertical position. The end I) of the lever b is broadened, so as to insure its extending into the path of the pouch as it enters recess a. While the device shown is double, to permit its use for exchanging mail-pouches while train is passing in either direction, it is obvious that it may be made single only, if desired.

The traveling portion of my device consists of a swinging member O, similar in many respects to the member A of the stationary part of the device, the main frame 0' correpart of the frame B, as a cross-bar b, by stasponding to (1, except that there are no projections corresponding to (1 nor projections corresponding to a but the frame 0 is terminated outwardly with three prongs, to the middle one of which, 0 is secured a spring 0, which extends to the side prongs and is so shaped at these ends as to hold the ring of a pouch securely at the points 0 0 but still yieldingly, so that the impact of the carpouch with the stationary catch will drag the pouch-ring off the catch 0 Parts on A and O (marked with same index-numerals) are similar and further description would be but repetition.

Preferably on the back side of the main frame is a handle 0 of convenient length and size so that the mail clerk may by pressing down upon it raise the whole device O to effect the exchange of mail pouches. The parts of the mechanism permanently fastened to the car are designated as a whole by D. The horizontal bar (1 is rigidly fastened to the car on either side of the doorway in any convenient manner, as by door-platcs d. On this bar the car exchange mechanism O is hung, so that it may he slid readily to any part of the opening or out of the way of the opening altogether, as shown in Fig. 2. If the exchange mechanism is to be made quickly detachable, instead of providing fingers c with eyelets I form them with recesses 0 into which the rod (1 fits. Plate 0 fits over the open sides of these slots and is fastened into place in any convenient manner, as by a screw through hole 0 threaded into handle 0 and main frame a.

Hooks d, fastened to any convenient adjoining point, as the inner side of car-door, are ada ted to receive and hold the handle 0 so t at exchange mechanism C may be maintained in any approximately horizontal position without the constant effort and attention of the operator. These hooks may be used or not, at the option of the operator.

On each side of the doorway is an arm (1 with hook d, projecting laterally toward the door and adapted to receive and sustain a mail-pouch ring. These arms are normally held against the side of the car by springs d or in any other suitable manner. When pouches are to be delivered only by either part of device, the same preparation is made as where they are to be exchanged, for the catching mechanism of each is always ready for use when the delivery mechanism is set. When pouches are to be received only on the car mechanism, the arms at are not raised, the mechanism O being raised, as before described. When pouches are to be received only on the stationary mechanism, the preparation is as previously described, but there being no pouch to hold the mechanism in position, a pawl b is attached to some convenlent oint on the frame under the mechanism X, a notch (not shown) provided in the under part of A and ada ted to contact with the free end of said paw to sustain A, while in such horizontal position, for catching.

The 0 eration is as follows: That station-' ary exc ange mechanism A is lifted up against the force of the springs a to an approximately horizontal position'and through connecting-levers b b levers b b are depressed to an approximately horizontal position. A mail-pouch is then hung on the side away from that on which the train approaches with which an exchange of pouches is to be efiectedtby hooking one ring of said pouch into a hook I) and the other into a corresponding hook 0. The ouch is thus held taut and readyto be caugfft bythe catching mechanism carried by the train. The catching mechanism of both parts of the device is always ready for use.- When nearing a point where pouches are to be exchanged Without stop, the moving exchange mechanism O is slid o posite the door, a pouch-ring placed in the ook toward the rear end of the car and the otherring laced in the hook (1 toward the front end 0 the car, and the operator bears down on handle until the mechanism C is brought to an approximately horizontal position, when the handle cl may be placed in the hook dnext the front'end of the car. When pouches at the station and on the car have been so arranged and the passing train arrives at the stationary device,

the mechanisms are of such a height that the.

middle of the ouch on the car mechanism contacts with t e slanting face of the catch a which catch turns on its pivot, allows the pouch to enter the recess a, when a spring a quickly throws the latch back to position and holds the pouch securely in the jaw, and in the meantime the pouch has been removed from hooks 0 and d, and immediately there after, the same action takes place with the.

pouch to be taken from the stationary mechanism by the car mechanism, removing that pouch from the hooks a 6 I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. In a mail-pouch-exchanging device, the combination of a fixed frame suitably. placed in proximity to a railway-track said frame carrying a combined pouch delivering and catching mechanism, said catching mechanism comprising a forked member and a latch guarding .the entrance thereto, said latch adapted to be pressed aside by an entering pouch," and a spring adapted to return said latch to position, and a combined pouchholding and catching mechanism attached to a mail-car. Y 2. In a-mail-pouch-exchanging device, the

. combination of a fixed frame suitably placed in proximity to a railway-track, said frame carrying a double pouch holding and catching mechanism, said catching mechanism provided with a latch adapted to be pressed aside by an entering pouch and a spring adapted to return said latch to position and a combined double pouch holding and catching mechanism attached to a mail-car, said car mechanism also provided with said latch and spring. 1

3. In a mail-pouch-exchanging device the combination of a frame fixed in proximity to a railway-track, a mail pouch receiving and delivering mechanism attached to said frame and including a plate having its opposite ends forked, and a spring-pressed latch controlling the entrance to each of the forks of said plate,

a substantially corresponding pouch holding and catching -mechan1sm attached to a car,

and a mechanism on the car upon which the pouch holding and catching devices of said car are movably supported.

4. In combination with a mail-pouch-exchanging device, a combined receiving and deliveringcar mechanism said mechanism including a member having its opposite ends forked, a spring-latch guarding the entrances to said forks, means whereby the forked plate is hung from the car, a handle whereby said plate may be turned about its support, and

means adapted to engage and hold'said handle to maintain the plate in position.

5. In combination with a mail-pouch-exchanging device, a combined receiving and delivering car mechanism, and readily-re.- movable means for slidably hinging said mechanism on a horizontal bar across the car-door, said means including said bar, guides having recesses for the bar, plates fitting over they open sides of the recesses and means for securing said plates.

6. A mail-pouch-exchanging device, con- IOO sisting of a fixed frame suitably placed in proximity to a railway-track, a double pouch holding and catching mechanism horizontally hinged thereto, said catching mechanism consisting of a bifurcated plate, the entrance to which is guarded by a latch yieldably held in position by springs; and a combined double pouch holding and catching mechanism similar to the one above mentioned so attached to a horizontal bar across the side'doorway of a railway mail-car as to be readily removable therefrom or to be slid on said bar clear of the doorway,

In testimony whereof'I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE W. MOSHER.

Witnesses:

JosEPn R. GARDNER,

FREDK. G. MOHR. 

